1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to transaction cards. More specifically, the invention is a combination bank/phone card that can be used for bank transactions including purchasing retail items and making virtually unlimited phone calls.
2. Description of Related Art
Numerous transaction cards have been devised for making debit and merchant or point of sale (POS) related transactions. Recent developments in the use of transaction cards have included the use of disposable phone cards which include predetermined money and associated time limits for use. Some disadvantages with the conventional transaction cards include the assessment of hidden toll fees which minimize telephone use time, and/or the need for numerous telephone codes to weave through the telephone network maze in order to make a simple call. The combination bank/phone card unlike the conventional transaction card systems described below, alleviates these conventional problems by utilizing a phone and banking sponsor network accessed by a single account number with direct telephone connections made toll free via a single personal identification number (PIN).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,107, issued to Atkins et al., discloses a method and apparatus for processing telephone calls charged to credit cards. When a telephone caller charges a call to a commercial credit card an announcement which includes the name of the credit card issuer is supplied to the caller after validation of the credit card. The issuer of the commercial credit card is identified, for purposes of announcing its name, by examining a prefix code of a credit card number supplied by the calling party. Also, the name of the telephone card holder is supplied as a part of the announcement given prior to connecting the calling station to the called station after validation of the credit card.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,808, issued to Hamrick, Jr., discloses a secured disposable debit card calling system and method. Identifying indicia are disposed on a telephone debit card surface, and temporarily covered so that it cannot be visually or photographically detected. A debit card is purchased from a distribution terminal or device. After purchase therefrom, a user is able to remove the temporary covering and access a telephone service system by accessing a central server via identified indicia located on the card. The central server monitors limited access of a user""s telephone usage. A toll charge is assessed against a user""s predetermined debit limit. Separate toll rates are included for different forms of calls, e.g., interstate long distance, intrastate long distance, local, or even collect or conference calls or modem services.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,232, issued to Taylor, discloses a multi-application data card comprising a memory formed with at least three memory banks or storage areas for storing and updating data relating respectively to at least one authorized holder of the card and at least two authorized applications of the card. Data storage mediums include magnetic strips and solid-state circuitry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,850,599, issued to Seiderman, discloses a portable cellular telephone with a credit card debit system. The telephone credit card calling system works in conjunction with a cellular telephone, a local cellular network and an IXC in a telecommunications network. The portable cellular telephone has a handset and a transceiver unit, and a credit card and electronic control interface electronically interposed between the handset and the transceiver unit. The interface unit has a credit card reader and an electronic system which initially validates the credit card prior to a telephone connection with the network and the subsequent third party.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,915,007, issued to Klapka, discloses a method and system for using a frequent shopper card as a phone calling card including (a) issuing a transfer certificate with a predetermined phone time and having a first personal identification number at a terminal; and (b) adding the predetermined phone time to an account associated with the frequent shopper card having a second personal identification number based on the first identification number, at a server.
The server includes a memory containing a data structure for storing information relating to using the frequent shopper card as a phone calling card. A computer program product includes a computer storage medium having a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to allow the frequent shopper card to be used as a phone calling card. The computer program code mechanism includes a first code device configured to issue the transfer certificate with a predetermined phone time at the terminal, and a second code device configured to add the predetermined phone time to the account at the server.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,748, issued to Taskett, discloses an improved system for xe2x80x9cregeneratingxe2x80x9d or adding funds to a prepaid remote memory account. The system includes a service provider network or host computer system including an account database of prepaid accounts. An integrated transaction card is issued to a consumer. One side of the card shows a prepaid telephone card for accessing the host computer system and an authorization code that allows access to an account database. The other side of the integrated transaction card is a transaction instrument which allows electronic transfers to a prepaid phone card. U.S. patents issued to Dorf (U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,608) and Brake, Jr. et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,136) disclose card system.
United Kingdom Patent No. 2,215,897, published September, 1989, and European Patent No. 402,302, published June, 1990, disclose credit card systems which allow for updating reusable prepaid phone cards.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The combination bank/calling card according to the invention is a single debit/credit card that can be used as a debit or credit card and a telephone card, and which utilizes a single account number. As a telephone card, a user would dial a special telephone number to use the card, input the account number, input a personal identification number (PIN), and dial the number to be called. This would allow a user to utilize their credit or debit card as a telephone card without the handling of multiple cards.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a single combination bank/phone card which allows simple and direct access for making purchases and virtually unlimited phone calls.
It is another object of the invention to provide a combination bank/phone card which reduces the number of phone card key codes to make direct phone calls via single toll free number.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a combination bank/phone card which operates as an independent bank, merchant and phone transaction card.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.